Sheriff's office purchases K9 vehicle with grant

The Randolph County Sheriff's Office recently purchased a new vehicle for its K-9 unit through an anonymous grant.Provided

By Staff Report

Posted on 1/5/2017, 9:45 AM

The Randolph County Sheriff"s Office recently purchased a new Chevrolet Tahoe to be used as a patrol vehicle for the K-9 unit.

The vehicle was paid for with a grant from a private foundation that wishes to remain anonymous, according to a news release from the sheriff"s office.

This grant was awarded to several Illinois sheriff"s offices and is solely used to fund K-9 units. The grant can cover up to $100,000, can be used to purchase the canine, and can also be used to purchase a vehicle and equipment.

Prior to receiving the canine grant, the Randolph County Sheriff"s Office had used its own drug fund to purchase and train canine deputy Dano and his handler, Deputy Eric Hamilton.

The drug fund does not use tax money and is funded through donations, drug seizures, and fines. Dano and Hamilton graduated from the Illinois State Police K-9 Academy in November 2015.

In the news release, Wolff stated that considering the county"s financial condition, it is important to seek out grants to help fund the sheriff"s office operations and relieve some of the burden on the taxpayers.

Wolff also thanked the unnamed donor for his generosity and commitment to law enforcement.